Alexander R.M. Forsting will present “A numerical study on the flow upstream of a wind turbine in complex terrain” at the Torque conference 2016 in Munich, on 5-7 October 2016.
The influence of mountainous terrain on the rotor induction zone is investigated numerically for a site in eastern Portugal. Depending on the wind direction, the shape of the induction zone changes significantly. This is directly related to the rotor wake trajectory and its interaction with the separated flow in the lee of the hill.
Figure 1; Contours of the axial velocity component. Note the separation zone in the lee of the hill, which pushes the rotor wake upwards.